Best Halloween Ever
by Wandering Wonderer
Summary: Yes, I know, lame title. NaruHina, rated M for ghost stories and themes...sorry, no lemon. Naruto attends a Halloween party thrown by Hinata and Neji. For the boy who hates Halloween so much, he sure does enjoy this night. Oneshot


**Hey hey, Wandering Wonderer here. This is my attempt at a NaruHina Halloween fic, whether it's late, or right on time. I've been really really really busy with Uni, so I've been writing this in between essays and speeches.**

**Rated M for ghost stories and themes. I was going to write in a lemon, but I lost inspiration for it. You don't need to know NaruHina love just through their physical contact. This fic is fairly long...I just kept writing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the affiliated characters. That would be cool though.**

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki's face was set in a masterful pout as he looked down at the piece of paper in his hand.

_Naruto Uzumaki_

_You are invited to the Halloween party to be held _

_At the Hyuuga mansion,_

_Hosted by Hinata and Neji Hyuuga._

_Party is to be from 8pm onwards_

_On the 31__st__ of October._

_It is a costume party, so come dressed in costume._

His whole form proved that he was dreading this party. His blonde spiky hair was not so spiky, as the tips were drooping, and his eyes were downcast, holding back tears. Finally, his shoulders were slumped and he let out a depressed sigh.

"Halloween…my most hated of all holidays. All those ghost stories…" He said aloud with a shudder.

He had received the invitation two weeks ago, and today was the day of the party…Halloween. He knew he'd attend. Aside from the fact that Hinata and Neji had gone against the council and Hiashi to attend his birthday party earlier in the month, Naruto was eager to see the Hyuuga heiress.

The said petite and pretty girl had come out of her shell more these past few months, and as she was able to talk to Naruto without a stutter…though in extreme circumstances she still blushed red…and the two had become close friends. It had been at his birthday party that he had told her his biggest secret.

_**Flashback**_

_Naruto was sitting on the roof of his apartment while his party raged on inside. He looked over the town and sighed unhappily. It may have been a joyous day for him and those that cared about him…but for everyone else living in Konoha, it was a reminder of the worst day in history. The slaughter of many and the death of the Fourth Hokage._

"_Naruto-kun, what's wrong?" Asked a soft voice from behind him._

_He looked behind him and masked his guilt and sadness with his normal bright smile. Hinata only frowned and sat down beside him, looking him in the eye._

"_Nothing's wrong Hinata, I'm fine." He said cheerfully._

"_Please don't lie to me. I think I deserve better than that. You're my friend and I want to know what's wrong."_

_Naruto sighed and looked up at the stars. "Your right Hina-chan, gomen. I'm feeling guilty, today should be a day of mourning, but I'm celebrating."_

"_Naruto-kun," She shifted closer to him. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to celebrate the day of your birth."_

_Naruto pulled his bent his knees up till they were almost under his chin, and he wrapped his arms around his legs for extra balance. "But to celebrate the day of countless deaths?"_

"_You're not celebrating their deaths, the fact that you're up here and in this state, alone proves that you mourn for them."_

"_I guess, but-"_

_Hinata gently placed a hand on his arm. "And if your not going to celebrate your birthday, let all of your friends do it for you."_

_He turned and looked at her, smiling brightly…genuinely this time._

"_Arigato Hina-chan, you're a great friend."_

_Hinata blushed as they locked gazes. "It's alright Naruto-kun. I…I just want you to know that you can trust me with anything. As you said, I'm your friend…I want to always be there for you."_

_Naruto unexpectedly pulled her into a warm hug and she blushed red, but returned the hug all the same._

"_You're right, I can trust you with anything…I have something to tell you." He pulled away and looked her in the eyes again. "Out of our generation, only Gaara, Sasuke and Sakura-chan know this. Hinata, you know why everyone is mourning tonight, the massacre by the Kyuubi." Hinata nodded. "Well, the Fourth didn't die killing him. He used all his power to do the only thing he could…he summoned a Death God." Hinata gasped. "Then, with the power of the Death God, he was able to seal the Kyuubi away…inside a newborn baby."_

_Hinata gasped again and everything finally made sense. The extra chakra reserve, the townsfolk's hatred of him, and the isolation._

"_The newborn was you!"_

"_H-hai…me." And to prove his point, he lifted up his shirt and showed her the seal on his stomach._

_To his surprise, Hinata ran a finger gently down the seal. The sensation was ticklish, but unfamiliar warmth spread through his stomach and abdomen._

"_I always knew I was right to admire you." She whispered, tracing the pattern of the seal, and he only watched her. "Naruto-kun, you're a hero. You are able to contain the biggest threat to ever cross with Konoha. Your strength is incredible. You could have succumbed to his power years ago, but you didn't."_

_He took her wandering hand and placed a soft kiss on her knuckles. "Arigato silver eyes."_

_Hinata blushed at the kiss and the nickname. " 'Silver eyes'?"_

_He nodded. "Hai, silver-eyes…like stars." He let go of her hand and ran a thumb gently across her cheek, just below her eye._

"_N-Naruto-kun…" She blushed hard._

_Suddenly, the volume of the music increased as Kiba opened a window and looked up in the direction of the roof._

"_Are you guys coming down? We're doing cake now!" He shouted, and the volume diminished again as he closed the window._

_Hinata stood and held out a hand to help Naruto up. "Come on, you're now 19, and you have a whole group of friends waiting inside to party with you. Besides, Sasuke-kun was asking me where you were before I came up here."_

_Naruto laughed as he took her hand and stood up. "Right."_

**_End Flashback_**

The possibility about speaking alone with Hinata again intrigued him, so he had been fixed on going to this Halloween party. However, now as the day had approached, the idea about spending time in a place where it would be decorated to be spookily inclined, he was tempted to stay home hidden under his doona. Looking over at the costume that lay on his bed, he smirked.

"Can't let the guys down, this is the perfect Halloween costume."

So he began getting changed.

* * *

As he ran through the streets of Konoha, he attracted a lot of attention from the crowd below. Adults, teenagers, and young kids going Trick-or-Treating all stopped to watch as he ran past. The adults especially, did frequent double takes and squints to see if they had been hallucinating.

As he ran passed these people in his costume, he couldn't help but smirk. He was dressed in an imitation Hokage-robe and his head was adorned with the official hat, which Tsunade had leant him. His headband was tied around hid left arm, and over the years, he'd let his hair grow out and he was now sporting some very Hokage-like sideburns.

Being 19, he was quite tall, and from all his missions and training, he'd become very toned, making him very strong looking…which he was. He knew he looked like the Fourth, which was fair enough; he was the Fourth's son.

He passed Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi and Iruka, who were strolling through the streets, each with their own little sake bottle. They all stopped and smiled as Naruto ran passed. It was a blast from the past for them, as if the Fourth was alive again.

Naruto arrived at the Hyuuga mansion at 8.10 and went straight in, as music was blaring and no one would hear if he knocked. He walked through the halls of the Hyuuga mansion, relishing in the stunned looks he got from some of the older Hyuuga family members. He finally found a huge room near the back of the house where the music was playing and entered the room.

All eyes were instantly on him as he stood there with a sturdy stance that emitted an aura of power…akin to the Hokage. Sasuke, his best friend and rival appeared in front of him with a smirk on his face.

"How appropriate…" He shouted over the music, to which Naruto only grinned.

"Nice costume!" Naruto shouted back.

Sasuke was wearing devil horns, tail and instead of a full body suit, had settled for a red shirt and baggy pants.

"It's a nightmare, Sakura and Ino-san both dressed as witches. They're arguing about who copied whom!" Sasuke shouted as the two walked further into the room, walking over to Neji and Lee.

Lee was still wearing his green body suit, but he now had adorned around his face, bright yellow fake flower petals. Neji was dressed similar to how he had when he was a Genin, however he was wearing a lot more bandages. They completely covered his arms and legs, and around his face too…a mummy. As the four talked, Naruto looked around the room.

Sakura and Ino were indeed both dressed as witches, and poor Tenten was stuck in the middle, and was dressed as a fairy. Standing near the buffet table, Kiba was slightly hairier…a werewolf, and Shino had a white sheet draped over him with two eyeholes cut out…but he wore sunglasses over them. Naruto had to laugh at the fact that Shino had chosen a ghost…it was as if that guy wanted to stay as covered as possible.

Choji, who was dressed as a butterfly, was also standing with Kiba and Shino, was eyeing the food greedily. Shikamaru just arrived in the room and walked over to Naruto, Sasuke, Neji and Lee.

"Why am I not surprised that you're not in costume?" Naruto asked Shikamaru.

The said boy shrugged. "Too troublesome. Am I last here Neji?"

Neji looked around the room. "No, the Kazekage and his siblings aren't here yet."

"Gaara's coming? Awesome!" Naruto cried out, looking towards the door. When no one walked in, he scanned the room again. "Hey Neji, where's Hinata?"

"Hiashi-sama requested her attendance in the council chambers for a quick meeting. She'll be here soon."

Sakura, Ino and Tenten chose that moment to appear, and Sakura tugged on Sasuke's arm.

"Sasuke-kun, you said you'd dance with me tonight. Come on, I love this song!"

Sasuke didn't bother complaining, and allowed Sakura to drag him into the middle of the dance floor. Tenten looked pleadingly at Neji. He, being the observant young man that he was, noticed, and he sighed.

"Tenten, do you want to dance?" He asked.

She bounced onto the dance floor and Neji followed her. Ino looked at Naruto with a smile.

"I like your costume Naruto, it suits you. You look just like the Fourth."

"Arigato Ino, you look very…festive."

Gaara, Kankuro and Temari arrived at that moment and Kankuro walked over to Kiba and Shino, and the other two made their way over to Naruto, Lee, Shikamaru and Ino. Temari only nodded her 'hello', before she dragged Shikamaru onto the dance floor. Gaara was dressed as a vampire and he offered a rare smile to Naruto.

"It suits you…"

"Thanks…and oddly, yours does too."

He glanced over at the door, hoping to catch a glance of Hinata, but no such luck. He did notice however, that Kankuro was dressed as a skeleton and Temari as a mermaid.

"Yosh! I find this song to be most youthful! Come friends, we must dance!" Lee shouted, and he pushed all three onto the dance floor.

Naruto was dancing with Ino when he glanced up at the door and his breath hitched in his throat. A woman had just entered and she was the most beautiful being he'd ever seen. Her face was covered in traditional white make up and her lips were painted a deep red. Her eyelids were dusted a purple colour and her hair was done up elaborately, with silver and white bells and ribbons decorating her hair. Her kimono hugged each of her curves, accentuating her waist and chest. The kimono was a dusty purple colour that had a silver sash and white flower patterns curling up the front of the kimono. The top of the kimono however, slid off one of her shoulders, exposing creamy white skin. Ino followed his gaze and smiled.

"Doesn't Hinata look amazing?" She asked.

His heart thumped wildly. "H-Hinata?"

Sure enough, it was Hinata who had entered the room. She walked over to Choji, Kiba, Shino and Kankuro and greeted them, before making her way over to the dance floor. Neji met her halfway there and exchanged a few words before he nodded and Sakura hugged her. Naruto hadn't moved since he'd first laid eyes on her and she looked at him from within Sakura's grasp. Ino ran over to Sakura and Hinata and pried the pink-haired girl away from the Hyuuga heiress. The girls, joined by Tenten, exchanged a few words before Hinata made her way over to Naruto. She smiled shyly up at him and his mouth hung open.

"H-Hinata…wow! I just…wow! You look-gre-no…stunning, beautiful…wow!"

Hinata blushed but the white face paint prevented it from being seen. "Arigato Naruto-kun. And I love your costume…the Hokage…it's perfect."

Naruto beamed at her and looked her up and down, taking in her form. " 'Nata-chan, you look like…"

"A Geisha?"

"I was going to say 'a dream'…but yours works too. A geisha…I can see that. However, you can't just stand around all night. Do you want to dance?"

Hinata nodded and even though it was a fast song, Naruto grabbed her by the hand and pulled her against him, placing a hand around her waist and pulling her into a slow dance. She rested her head against his chest and smiled softly as they moved to the beat. As if noticing the way in which they were dancing, the music changed to a slow song, and Lee and Gaara left the dance floor to get drinks. Ino ran over to Kiba and dragged him onto the dance floor. He was reluctant, but complied anyway.

"Silver-eyes, you look beautiful." Naruto whispered in Hinata's ear.

"Naruto-kun…" She sighed happily.

The two danced together for the next hour, before the music and lights were turned off and candles were lit.

"Okay, everyone in a circle…it's time for ghost stories." Neji said.

Naruto groaned and pouted, and Hinata noticed. She remembered that mission to the 'haunted' mansion where Naruto had been so scared. She took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. He looked at her and smiled warmly. They sat down next to each other in the circle and the ghost stories began.

Shino began.

"Many years ago, on the night that should have been known as Halloween, a young boy was walking home from the academy. You see this boy had just the day before, lost his puppy…it had died by drowning in the river. As the sun set the day the boy's puppy died, the sky was painted blood red…and the next day was the same. The boy was looking at the ground, not paying attention to where he was going, and was thinking about the truly terrible moment when he had tried to pull his puppy out of the river." Both Naruto and Kiba squirmed and whimpered. "He wasn't able to reach the puppy as it was caught by the current and dragged down the river, And as he hopped out of the river, the constant drip of the water coming from his clothes and landing 'SPLAT' on the ground, scared him. Anyway, as this boy was walking alone, he started to hear the same dripping noise." Naruto latched onto Hinata's arm, holding her hand and intertwining their fingers. "The boy froze in his tracks, but the dripping did not stop, he spun around but nothing was there. He turned around again and kept walking, trying to ignore the 'drip', 'drip'', 'drip'. Finally, he took off his backpack to take out a kunai, and he noticed that his water bottle was leaking, soaking through the material of the bag and dripping onto the ground. He almost laughed and threw the water bottle away, drying the bag quickly with a simple jutsu. He began walking again, and his heart jumped when he heard the 'drip', 'drip', 'drip'. He walked faster and faster, but the dripping only sped up too. He spun around quickly and…" Naruto sucked in a breath. "There was nothing there. 'Drip'. He spun around and there was his puppy, staring at him, and dripping water."

Naruto and Kiba weren't the only two to scream, as Ino, Tenten and Sakura screamed too.

Shino concluded. "The boy didn't make it home that night. However, they did find him the next day, face down in the river, caught in some reeds after being dragged by the current down the river."

Hinata looked at Neji, who was smirking slightly, as if amused by the reactions of his friends. Hinata's gaze was drawn back to Naruto when he clutched harder onto her arm, whimpering softly.

"Naruto-kun, it's okay…the story wasn't real."

"How are you not scared?"

She smiled softly. "I've heard scarier…"

"I have a story."

Everyone looked at Gaara in shock and interest, except Naruto and Kiba, who were shaking.

"It happened a long time ago in Suna. There was an escaped murderer lurking in town. Each night there was a killing inside a house, with no signs of forced entry, so everyone assumed it was a rogue ninja. The head of police in Suna had been working four days straight, only going home to tuck his 10-year-old daughter into bed. This little girl had no mother, she died during the birth and that made the girl very mature at a young age, as her father was always working late and couldn't look after her."

"That poor little girl…" Tenten whispered.

"Oh my, that story truly was terrifying!" Lee said hands clasped together.

"You baka, he hasn't finished yet!" Sakura said, hitting him over the head.

Gaara continued. "Her father, to combat her loneliness, bought her a dog. He was a strong dog that was extremely faithful…a good loyal companion. On any night when her Dad was working late, the little girl made herself dinner, and this particular night was no different. After eating, she went to bed, allowing her dog to sleep under her bed…she felt safe with him there."

Naruto grinned and whispered in Hinata's ear. "This isn't scary at all."

"The girl awoke with a start later that night, a shudder going down her spine. Something didn't feel right so she got out of bed and placed her feet on the cold floor. She was about to get up, but when she felt her dog lick her feet, she relaxed…if something was wrong, her dog would have been barking, not licking her feet. So she got back in bed and went back to sleep."

Naruto squeezed Hinata's hand again, starting to feel slightly uncomfortable.

"A few hours later, she woke again, feeling uncomfortable. She sat up again, placing her feet on the floor, but again, her dog licked her feet so she went bed to sleep."

This time it was Kiba who whimpered aloud, clinging onto Shino, for lack of a better thing to hold onto.

"It was 3.30 in the morning when the girl awoke again, still feeling uncomfortable. So, she sat up, placed her feet on the floor. Again, her ever-loyal dog licked her feet again, but this time she sill stood up. She walked over to her Dad's room…he wasn't there, still at work. So, she went downstairs to get a drink of milk and to call her Dad, because she wanted to hear his voice. She got her drink and headed over to the phone to call her Dad, when something caught her eye. Over by the doggy door that was placed in the inside the back door, was her loyal dog…" He paused and took a breath. "Lying a pool of blood."

Sakura gasped. "Oh Kami!"

"The little girl froze with the phone in her hand. If her dog was dead downstairs…then what had been licking her feet?"

Naruto shuddered and moved closer to Hinata, resting his head on her shoulder. She blushed but otherwise made no reaction.

"A laugh ripped through the house and the girl dropped the phone and ran. She never made it to the front door."

Naruto turned his face into the crook of the shoulder of the petite girl acting as his security blanket. Even in his terror of the story, he noticed that Hinata smelled rather nice.

"The Dad came home the following morning, to find his dog dead by the back door, and his daughter dead by the front door…the murderer had struck again."

Sakura, Naruto and Kiba all whimpered in fear as Gaara finished his story.

"The poor dog!" Kiba wailed. "Why is it always the dogs?!"

"That poor little girl!" Sakura sobbed.

Naruto shuddered in fear and Hinata used her free hand to stroke his hand already in her grasp.

"Naruto-kun, it's not real, remember, it's not real." She whispered in his ear.

He lifted his head from her shoulder and looked at her disbelievingly.

" 'Nata, how can you not be scared?"

"T-there's only ever been one ghost story that's scared me. C-compared to that one, I've n-never been scared by a ghost story."

Neji smiled because he knew the story she meant. "Hinata-sama, that story is perfect for this situation. You should tell it to our friends."

Hinata looked hesitant for a second. She looked up at the open door to the hallway, then back to her group of friends. Many were shaken already from Shino and Gaara's stories.

"I-it may be too much for some people Neji-nii-kun."

"Go on Hyuuga-san, I don't want to sleep tonight, the point of Halloween ghost stories is to be scared shitless." Temari said, leaning forward.

The Hyuuga heiress nodded, looked over at the doorway, and then began.

"I-it happened a long time ago…during the first Hokage's reign. The Hyuuga family had just established itself in Konoha, and the relationship between the main and branch family was stable. At the time, Hizama Hyuuga was the heir to the family, and everyone was happy with the arrangement. Hizama was in love with a member of the branch family, Yuki Hyuuga. Yuki loved Hizama too, and they intended on marrying. However, within the main family, there was a woman about the same age as Hizama, named Raika Hyuuga. She too loved Hizama, and she was jealous of the relationship between Hizama and 'that branch girl'-"

"Hinata, this sounds like a tragic love story." Ino interrupted.

Hinata blushed in embarrassment. "I-I'm not up to the scary part yet Ino-chan."

Ino blushed as well, looking down at the ground. "Gomen…" She whispered.

"Raika was a shrewd girl, but she was also slightly unbalanced. Her reasoning was that if she couldn't have Hizama, no one could. Hizama and Yuki got married at night, under an almost complete moon. It was big ceremony, even the Hokage was there…but so was Raika."

Hinata stopped and closed her eyes, sighing softly for effect. Naruto, who was still holding Hinata's hand, was looking at her with soft eyes. He had noticed the look of fear in her eyes, even as she told the story. He nudged her comfortingly and she smiled softly at him in gratitude.

"That same night, after the wedding and when Hizama and Yuki had retired to their wedding futon, Raika went into the room. The l-lovers were asleep and Raika went over to Hizama's side of the futon. She applied what little Gentle Fist she knew to his heart." She placed her free hand over her heart for emphasis. "It was silent, Yuki didn't even wake up. Raika left the room and went to her own. The next morning, Yuki woke up to her dead husband. She screamed and called for help. There was so much commotion, and everyone kept asking her questions. She was in hysterics, tears and hyperventilating. She couldn't answer any of the questions 'what happened?' and 'who did it?' So…Raika answered. She said that she'd gone to wish the 'happy couple' her congratulations, and she'd seen them fighting…and that she'd seen Yuki apply Gentle Fist to Hizama. Yuki, still in hysterics, couldn't defend herself…and the Elders were willing to believe the daughter of a council member, over the 'ravings' of a branch member."

All the girls sniffed in sadness.

"Yuki was executed the next evening…a full moon. To add insult, she was killed in her wedding dress, in the same spot she and Hizama got married."

"How did they kill her?" Tenten whispered.

Hinata looked down, shaking in fear.

"They pierced her heart with a sword. An 'eye for an eye' sort of thing."

It was not Hinata that spoke, but Neji.

"Is that the story? It's sad, but not scary." Temari stated softly, a spell had been cast over the occupants of the room.

"Since Hizama was the only child of the current head of family, the heir position was given to Hizama's father's cousin…Raika's father. In time, the father died and Raika assumed the position of heiress. She died on the first full moon of her reign as heiress. She was stabbed through the heart."

"Oh my…" Tenten gasped.

"They say that on the night of a full moon, you can hear crying and heavy breathing through the house and out in the grounds. Some say they've seen a being dressed in a white dress, lurking around the same area that Yuki was married…and murdered. These sightings occurred on nights two days before a full moon. They say that Yuki haunts the main family…especially the heirs and heiresses. There are nights, on full moons, when you're walking through the halls, that out of the corner of your eye, you see a glimpse of white."

Hinata trailed off and looked up at the doorway again, this time, everyone else looked up at the doorway. Not everyone screamed, but they all jumped when a being dressed in white passed the doorway and continued on down the hall. This time it was Hinata who clung onto Naruto in fear. When the being re-appeared in the doorway, Hinata visibly relaxed, sighing in relief.

"Nee-chan, you should have gone Trick-or-Treating, loads of candy!" Hanabi called from the doorway, dressed in a white dress…with a blood red wound on the chest.

"Hanabi-sama, what's the costume?" Neji asked, standing and going over to his younger cousin.

"Yuki."

Hinata shuddered and Hanabi giggled. "Better be careful Nee-chan, it's a full moon and you're the heiress. Yuki will be upset…the veil between worlds is at its lowest!"

"Hanabi!" Hinata snapped, drawing the gaze of all her friends…Hinata never snapped.

Hanabi walked off with a smirk on her face and nose high in the air.

"Well, I think it's time for music again…" Neji said, and he made it happen.

Everyone got to their feet again moved either over to the dance floor or the food table. Naruto helped Hinata to her feet and pulled her into a hug, trying to comfort her.

"She teases me every year about the story. I'm the heiress, I'm the one in danger, she says. I know it's just a tale, but it still unsettles me."

"It is a pretty scary story, especially since it 'happened' in your family. You're not a direct descendant of Raika are you?"

"No, when Raika died, she wasn't married, she didn't have any children. Another of Raika's cousins was awarded the position of heir. Me and my family are directly descended from him…Neji-nii-kun too."

A figure came up beside them; scaring them and making them jump apart.

"That's why Hiashi-sama is so proud. 'His' family has the longest running Hyuuga heirship." Neji said, gazing pointedly at Naruto.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably underneath his gaze, the wrath of a protective cousin was more terrifying than any Akatsuki member. Hinata took Naruto's hand and lead him over to the food, grabbing some sushi for herself and pointing at the ramen for Naruto. As they ate, they talked about life as a ninja, missions, training, and bad guys they'd come across. Soon, a rather drunk Sakura came over, a slightly concerned but trying not to show it, Sasuke in tow.

"Naruto, Sasuke and I are going to see the spot where Yuki died." Sakura said, swaying on the spot. "But we don't know where it is. Hinataaaaaaaa, can you show us where it is?"

Hinata didn't want to, despite knowing it was just a story within her family, she still didn't want to go to the spot where the story took place. Looking over at Naruto, she saw that he also didn't want to go, and she remembered that he was scared of ghosts and ghost stories.

"C-can you ask Neji-nii-kun to take you please, I really don't want to go." She half-pleaded.

"Noooo, you're nicer, Hinata-chan, we want you…please!" The pink-haired girl whined.

Sasuke and Naruto looked at the silver-eyed girl.

She's not going to stop until she gets what she wants…" Sasuke said quietly…as quietly as one could with music playing loudly.

Hinata sighed dejectedly. The blonde beside her pouted and sighed too, because he'd have to go. Not that Hinata would ask him to do something he wouldn't want to do, but he wanted to be with her, and protect her from any harm.

"H-hai, let's go." She said.

Sakura cheered loudly and ran towards the door, out of it and turned left down the hall. Calling out to her, Hinata had to smile at her friend's drunkenness.

"Wrong way Sakura-chan! It's this way."

* * *

Out in the garden, Sakura was skipping along, singing some Konoha nursery rhyme. Hinata walked along, slightly behind her, and Naruto and Sasuke walked along together behind Hinata. Sasuke and Naruto were discussing a past battle, and showing off hand signs that brought forth their strongest attacks.

"Hinata-chan, are you scared that Yuki will come and get you?" Sakura called back.

"It's silly really, when I was first told the story…when I was young, I did think she was going to get me. But not anymore…it's just a story now, and it's the only story that scares me."

"Besides," Naruto put in. "Hinata is a nice girl, she wouldn't kill anyone for a selfish reason. Yuki wouldn't want to hurt such a great person."

Hinata blushed hard in the dark, very thankful that no one could see her reddening face.

"So, where's the spot that she died?" Sakura asked.

Hinata looked from left to right, combining the story and landscape together in her mind. She stepped closer to Sakura, then around her, and stood on a brick path, with a rose bush on either side of her.

"This spot, right where I'm standing." She whispered.

Turning from talking to Sasuke, Naruto looked towards the quiet shinobi…and his breath caught for the second time that night. Dressed as she was, surrounded by rose bushes, and the moon shining brightly, casting an ethereal silhouette around her.

"Oooh, spooky!" Sakura said, breaking the spell.

Suddenly, the music from the party room increased and it filtered into the yard. Sakura giggled and ran up to Sasuke.

"Dance with me Saskay…I wanna dance!" She said, pulling on his hands.

Sasuke sighed and tried futilely to escape, but Sakura wouldn't back down.

"Hai, fine. But inside, not out here."

With that, he started walking inside, taking the drunken pink-haired girl with him. Naruto and Hinata watched them leave, before he turned to look at her with his trademark grin. She returned the gesture with a trademark blush. He walked over to her and took her hands, quickly brushing his lips over the knuckles on her right hand.

"Hina-hime…" He whispered against her hand.

He'd said just loud enough for her to hear it over the music, and her blush deepened. To have all this affection from her crush put her brain into overload.

"N-Naruto-kun…please."

Using her hand as anchorage, he pulled her towards him, and she fell into his warm embrace.

" 'Please' what 'Nata?" He grinned cheekily.

"S-stop taunting me."

Hi handsome face turned serious. "Hinata, I'm not teasing you…dance with me."

Without waiting for a reply, the hand that was resting on her hip, moved to completely encircle her waist, pulling her right against him. The hand that was already holding hers did not let go, in fact he intertwined their fingers intimately. He smiled softly at her and then nuzzled his nose against her elaborate hairstyle. Hinata sighed in contentment, resting her head on his shoulder. She shivered when she felt a light pressure on her neck, and Naruto let her go and stepped back, looking at the ground, humiliated.

"Gomen Hinata."

"I-it's okay N-Naruto-kun, I-I didn't mind it." She replied, blushing.

"You shuddered…"

"N-no…it was a shiver. It tickled…and your action was…p-pleasant."

She was back in his embrace within the second, and he kissed her on the neck again. She blushed and giggled at the ticklish feeling, but this time Naruto didn't pull away. He placed a trail of kisses down her neck and placed a hand delicately on the column of her neck, tilting her head for greater access. On one particular kiss, she giggled quite loudly.

"G-gomen, it is…"

"Ticklish…I don't want to ruin your make-up."

"Naruto-kun…"

"Silver-eyes, I…I think I'm in love with you."

This time, it was Hinata whose breath caught in her throat. Those words, from his mouth, at that time, with what the attention he was paying to both her and her neck, was too much for her. Her vision swan before her eyes, and her knees buckled before she fainted in his arms.

He couldn't help but smile.

"Hinata…"

* * *

Hinata woke groggily, eyes fluttering open, and noticed she was not in her room…or her house. She sat up and as she did, a wet cloth fell into her lap. The door to the room opened and Naruto walked in, no longer wearing his Hokage costume.

"How are you feeling?" He asked quietly.

She nodded and as she did, she realised her head felt much lighter. She lifted a hand and patted her head. Her hair had been let down and she ran her fingers delicately through her straight hair.

"I thought you'd sleep uncomfortably if your hair was kept up. It was very pretty, but I like you hair like this better."

With that, he walked over to the bed, sat down next to her and ran his fingers through her hair. She tilted her head into his caress and closed her eyes happily.

"Where am I?' She whispered as he continued his actions.

"My room. After you passed out, I brought you here. I thought it better than facing Neji's wrath and the 'What did you do to her?' garbage."

She nodded and smiled softly. He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips. After pulling away, he smiled.

"I took your make-up off too. You look pretty like this…"

"Naruto-kun…" He looked at her with a curious expression. "B-before, you said you think you love me-"

"I take that back." And she stiffened. "I don't 'think' I love you, I 'know' I do."

"Me too."

It was the hardest thing she'd ever said. Those two simple words took all her courage, and now she was drained.

" 'Nata…" He said tenderly.

She couldn't even look him in the eye; she was so exhausted from those two words. He kissed her softly on the nose, and then on the lips, giving her some courage back. He truly was her inspiration.

"I love you t-too." She whispered.

He pulled her into a tight hug, and the action alone meant more than the kisses combined.

"I've found my precious person." He told himself with a grin.

"Naruto-kun…my precious person."

He pulled away and held her at arms length, grinning from ear to ear.

"You can't read minds can you?"

"Wha-"

"You said exactly what I was thinking. You're amazing!"

She had to giggle at his silliness. "Can you guess what I'm thinking?" She asked, playing along.

Naruto studied her carefully, not missing the small smile spreading across her face.

"Are you thinking 'He's crazy!'?"

"No…"

"What were you thinking?"

She blushed. "When in he going t-to kiss me again?"

He beamed and pulled her closer to him again, kissing her fully on the lips. This time, she responded, still blushing and mind reeling. He made a trail of kisses down her jaw line, then onto her neck. As he kissed down her ivory column of flesh, she giggled again, leaning into his body as a reflex move. He started placing little nibbles on her neck and she giggled again, this time pulling away because it was too ticklish.

"G-gomen…too ticklish."

You must be very ticklish."

And with that, he pounced, pushing her gently back on the bed and tickling her mercilessly. Peals of laughter, from both the teens, echoed through the room, as Naruto continued his torture.

"I-I-I-I-I g-g-g-g-g-give!" She called out through her laughter.

Relinquishing his torture, he collapsed on top of her, laughing happily. After both their laughter died down, they realised the position they were in, and blushed accordingly. He lifted himself off her, and as he did, his eyes were drawn to her chest, as she was still breathing heavily. He suddenly leaned down and kissed her soundly on the lips, running his tongue over her lips for the first time. She blushed at the development, but obliged all the same, opening her mouth to allow him entrance, and she cautiously returned the favour.

As they kissed, he ran his hand down her side, until he hooked his hand under her thigh and pulled it up. Taking the hint, she hooked her leg around his waist and as she broke from the kiss to breathe, she blushed, as he looked her in the eye.

"I don't think you could get any more red 'Nata." He whispered.

"I-it's hot in here." She tried to sell it not only to him, but to herself also.

He didn't miss a beat. "Then maybe you should take off some clothes…wow, I was wrong, you can get more red. Hina, I was teasing you that time…I wouldn't want you to do anything you were uncomfortable with."

"My kimono is a bit heavy."

It was Naruto's turn to blush. "I-If you want, I can lend you something to wear."

"Actually, that'd be nice."

He placed a soft kiss on her lips and as he did, she unhooked her leg from around his waist. He got off the bed and walked over to his dresser. He shuffled through his clothes and pulled out a dress shirt. He took it back to the bed with a grin.

"Gomen, I don't have any girls' clothes."

She smiled. "I should hope not."

He nodded in agreement and handed her the shirt. "I'll go get you a drink."

He left the room and she got changed. It took longer to get the kimono off, than it did to put the shirt on, and a she did up the last button, Naruto knocked on the door.

"H-hai Naruto-kun, you can come in."

He came in and had to smile at the sight of Hinata in one of his shirts. The shirt only passed her rear, and left her legs revealed. Accompanied by her make-up free face and silky straight hair, Naruto was mesmerised. He walked over to her, handed her the water, and had to swallow dryly as he watched her take a sip. She placed the water on the bedside table and turned around to face Naruto, who had walked right up to her.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Right now, you look the best you have all night. You looked beautiful as a geisha, but now…perfect."

"Arigato Naruto-kun…" She whispered and hugged him, putting her arms around his shoulders.

The shirt rode up and revealed her rear, and Naruto's hands rested on her hips, thumbing his way down to her bum. He shuffled them towards the bed, and they collapsed onto the bed, with Hinata on the bottom.

"Are you okay?" He whispered to her.

"Hai,"

He kissed her and she replied enthusiastically. She unconsciously hooked a leg around his waist and he moved closer to her. One of his hands moved down her front, and undid the top button, then paused to see if she reacted negatively. When she didn't, he undid another button, and the top of her cleavage could be seen.

"Mmm…Silver-eyes." He whispered, pulling away and planting kisses on her neck.

Her head sunk back into the pillow and she gasped for breath and tried not to giggle at the ticklish feeling. His kisses moved from her neck, to her shoulder blade, and the feeling was less ticklish and she could revel in the sensations her love was bestowing on her. She was vaguely aware of his undoing more buttons of her shirts, but she didn't care.

"Hinata…" He said, pulling away. "I-I have to stop now…or I don't think I will later."

Hinata's eyes opened and she tried not to show her disappointment.

"I don't think I'd be able to stop." He explained.

She took a deep breath and said the second hardest thing she'd ever said. "I-I haven't asked you to stop yet…what makes you t-think I w-will? I've loved you for years; I'm not going to push you away now. I…I want to be with you."

He didn't say anything, only kissed her soundly on the lips and undid the rest of the buttons on her shirt.

* * *

An hour later, Naruto was resting his head on his hand, with his elbow on the pillow, watching as Hinata cuddled up to him, half asleep. With his free hand, he pushed a strand of hair from her face and ran his hand through her hair once, before resting his hand on her waist, slowly stroking her back. In her half asleep state, she moaned softly and nuzzled her head against his chest.

"Mmm…Naruto-kun…" She whispered breathily.

She sleepily lifted a leg to hang over his legs.

"Hinata…that's not helping." He croaked throatily.

She smiled sleepily but made no move to remove her leg, although he wasn't too fussed about it.

"It'll prove to be an interesting morning Silver-eyes."

When she didn't reply, he noticed she'd fallen asleep and he kissed her on the head.

"Best Halloween ever!" He whispered, before lying down next to her and following her into slumber.

* * *

**There, what'd you think? Drop me a line, I don't mind.**

**Oh, I've also uploaded another story. Still NaruHina and no lemon (It's T rated). And those of you who are reading 'Heroes of the West', I promise the next chapter will be out soon. Sabaku-chan finishes Uni on Friday, and I've already finished. I'm going to email the chapter to her on Saturday morning, and hopefully the chapter will be out next week. Ciao!**

**Wandering Wonderer, out!**


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